City promotes beautification

The City of Cottonwood recently awarded Firecreek Coffee Company all three of the city’s beautification recognition awards during the May 6 meeting of the city council. The business won best curb appeal, best use of native plants and best overall. Daulton Venglar/Larson Newspapers

The Cottonwood City Council presented the City Beautification Recognition Award to Firecreek Coffee Company during its May 6 meeting. 

The community development department implemented the CBR program earlier this year to encourage property maintenance, instill civic pride and recognize and encourage environmental enhancements. 

Firecreek was nominated by a member of the community and won in all three categories: Best curb appeal, best use of native plants and best overall. A panel of five judges evaluated the landscaping of each nominated business based on a variety of criteria including creativity and use of space. The CBR program will continue on an annual basis. 

New Cottonwood City Councilman Derek Palosaari also took the oath of office at the meeting, filling the seat vacated by Tosca Henry. 

Mayor Tim Elinksi commented that the city’s strategic plan expresses the council’s desire to preserve Cottonwood’s small-town charm. 

“Who better to serve alongside us than Mr. Palosaari, who grew up here and has returned to raise his family here,” Elinski said. 

Library Director Ryan Bigelow presented the city’s strategic plan. Town Manager Scotty Douglass stressed the importance of the plan and its role in the city. 

“This document really rules over what we’re trying to accomplish as the city of Cottonwood,” Douglass said. “Everything that we do as a city plugs into the strategic plan and gives us a very focused effort toward making sure we follow these initiatives.”

Alyssa Smith

Alyssa Smith was born and raised in Maryland, earning her degree in Media Studies from the University of North Carolina Greensboro after a period of traveling out West. She spent her high school and early college years focusing on music journalism, interviewing, photographing and touring with bands and musicians. Her passion is analog photography and she loves photographing the scenes of Jerome, where she resides. Her love of the Southwest brought her to the reporter position at Larson Newspapers where she enjoys hiking with her dog along the Verde River and through the desert’s red rocks.

Exit mobile version